A Complete Guide to Living in Ilford

Trafford Stadium Aerial view

A Complete Guide to Living in Ilford

Ilford is part of the London Borough of Redbridge, which is one of the London’s greenest boroughs – 40% of the land is devoted to green and open spaces. Ilford is the main town and administrative centre of Redbridge and there are some ambitious plans to redevelop the town, which has been driven by the forthcoming arrival of the Elizabeth Line.

History of Ilford

Historically, Ilford was a small rural settlement in south west Essex and its strategic position on the River Roding and the London to Colchester road, it soon developed into a coaching town. The arrival of the Great Eastern Railway in 1839, eventually accelerated the town’s growth along with the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Ilford significantly expanded along with its population, and became a municipal borough in 1926 and eventually became a part of Greater London in 1965.

 

Living in Ilford

Ilford has a plethora of housing which includes late Victorian, Edwardian and 1920’s terrace houses close to Valentines Park and new-build apartment blocks closer to the town centre and the  ailway station – making it the perfect place to make a new home in east London, whilst still being able to commute into central London within 30 minutes.

The area is ideal for shopping, with many shops and stores located on the high streets. The area also hosts its own shopping mall, the Exchange Ilford, providing many branded stores such as Debenhams, New Look and Primark, along with a local market just outside its doors. That’s not all, as Westfield Stratford, one of the largest malls in Europe, is only 12 minutes away via TFL Rail. It hosts a large variety of stores, including restaurants, clothing shops and a food court.

One of the notable cultural centres in Ilford is the Kenneth More theatre, named after the 50s actor Kenneth More. It hosts a variety of plays and musicals, great for families. A prominent local sports centre is the Ilford swimming pool, once used as a training centre for Olympic athletes during the 2012 Olympic games. The Olympic park is also nearby and can be reached via a short tube journey.

The area is well known for its greenery, the most popular example being Valentines park, famous for its floral displays, Valentines mansion and as a visiting spot for families and children. The area also boasts several stations along the Central Line (London Underground), which is ideal for people who work in and around central London. To add to this already well-connected region, the forthcoming Elizabeth Line railway station in Ilford will only improve the opportunities, as journey times to destinations such as Canary Wharf, Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road, Paddington, and London Heathrow Airport, will be dramatically improved.

 

Moving to Ilford

With the ambitious regeneration plans currently ongoing, Ilford’s and the local area’s future is looking very bright. Ilford and the London Borough of Redbridge has so much to offer its residents, including access to some of London’s best green spaces and convenient transport links in to central London.

Complete Prime Residential currently have a number of residential developments in Ilford. Are you looking to move to Ilford and would like to find out more information about either of these developments? Please fill in the below contact form or contact our expert lettings team on 020 3551 9900.

 

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